Electrolytic cell



H. C. JENKINS. ELECTROLYTIC CELL." APPUCATION FILED JUNE 10. 1919.

1,410,681. 7 Patented Mar. 28,1922.

7 2 SHEETS-SHEET I.

H. C. E NS.

ELECTR cm. APPLICATION URE 1 1919. 1,410,681 Patented Mar. 28, 1922.

' SHEET 2.

. 2 SHEETS ear ELECTROLYTIC CELL.

Application filed June 10, 1919.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

it known that I, HENRY CHAnLEs JE1\' KINS, a subject of the King of England, residing at 816 Salisbury House, London lVall, E. C., London, England, (whose postoflice address is 816 Salisbury House, London lVall, E. C., London, England,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in and Relating to Electrolytic Cells, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in electrolytic cells, the object being to control the discharge from the cells by means of the feed of the electrolyte into the. cell chamber or by means of any other liquid supply such as does not pass as a feed supply into the cell chamber.

According to this invention the control is effected by a rise in level in a feed tank when electrolyte or other liquid is fed from an external source.

The feed tank communicates with a second chamber into which some of the feed liquor can pass and repass freely. This chamber has no other outlet, but contains within it a float which follows the rise in level above mentioned,rising when feed liquor is applied and falling as the feed diminishes.

The float can be suitably and adjustably weighted so as to follow the changes of level in the feed tank by a greater or lesser amount as may be desired, rising later and falling earlier according as the weights are increased.

The second chamber, which as well as the float is preferably of annular form, contains a tube the interior of which is quite cut off from the interior of the chamber itself but is in communication with the liquid to be discharged.

Vithin the tube is a stem which is connected to the top of the float and is suitably guided and carries at its lower end a valve resting on a seating thereby closing the tube until the valve is lifted.

Normally the liquid is discharged from the cell by overflow over a separate adjustable weir. The lifting of the valve allows the discharge of some part, or the whole, of the cell independently of the overflow discharge over the Weir.

Frictional resistances are inserted in the pipes by suitably restricting their diameters or the amount of discharge can be varied by constricting the discharge pipe as by the Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 15.9722.

Serial No. 303,113.

insertion of dill'erent different In the stoppers each with a sized perforation. accompanying drawings Fig. l is a section on an enlarged scale taken on the line 1-1 of F 2.

Fig. 2 is a part plan of an electrolytic cell showing the present invention applied thereto, and

'Fig. 3'is a vertical section looking in the opposite direction to the view shown in F 1, and showing in dotted lines the cell and its connection with the discharge tank; and Fig. lis a section taken on the line -lt of Fig. 3.

In the drawings, A represents the bodv of the cell, 13 the feed pipe communicating with the electrolytic cell and connected by branch pipe B with the feed tank B C is a discharge pipe communicating by'means of a branch C with the cell A and connected by the branch C with a tank C in which the normal level of the liquid to be discharged is controlled by a separate weir C of any known type, and in any suitable part of the cell. C represents the discharge level of'the weir C and is the level to which the liquid will rise in the tank C when the cell is in normal working with the dischai a. valve D? closed. The rise in level of the liquid in the feed tank B when fed thereinto will automatically discharge the contents of the tank C by means of a float actuated valve such as is hereinafter described.

The feed tank 13 communicates by means of a branch B with a chamber D containing a float D connected to a valve D in an outlet pipe D communicating by a branch C with the tank C In the example shown both the chamber D and the float D are of annular form and concentrically disposed around a central tube D which is entirely cutoff from the feed tank 13 and float chamber D and forms continuation of the weir tank branch C. it its lower end the tube D carries or is formed integrally with the outletpipe D having a seating for the valve D The valve is at tached to a stem D which passes through an indie-rubber disc in the upper closed end D of the tube D and is adjustably secured to the float D by the nuts D.

It will be obvious that as the chamber 1) is in communication only with the feed tank 3 the liquid level in the latter will be re produced in the former and the float will follow the rise and fall of the liquid in the teed tank. As previously stated this feed level will be governed by frictional resistances of any known form adjusted in the feed pipes in any part of the cell or by restricting their diameters by any suitable means. In the example shown, the branch pipe B of smaller diameter than the branch pipe B which opens communication between the feed tank B and the float chamber D, coi'isequently the liquid fed into the feed tank through the feed aperture 13 will rise in the tank B before passing away through the constricted pipe B to the cell and this rise in level in the tank B will actuate the float and open the valve D to discharge the contents of the tank C and also of the cell A through the pipe C so long as the level in the feed tank B is suiliciently high to raise the float D and open the dis charge valve D Having fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. An electrolytic cell wherein a discharge of liquid from a tank in communication with the cell is automatically effected by the rise in level of the feed of the liquid supply in a separate feed tank connected with the source of supply and having a restricted outlet leading to the cell.

2. An electrolytic cell wherein a discharge of liquid from a tank in communication with the cell is automatically efiected by a float which opens or closes a valve in the discharge pipe, said float being operated by the rise in level of the feed of the liquid supply in a separate feed tank connected with the source of supply and having a restricted outlet leading to the cell.

3. An electrolytic cell comprising a tank. in communication with the interior of the cell, a discharge pipe, a pipe opening communication between said tank and said discharge pipe, a valve in said discharge pipe, a float connected to said valve, a chamber containing said float,a "feed tank connected with a source of liquid supply, and with the interior of the cell by a restricted out-let, and a pipe opening communication betweensaid fieat chamber and said feed tank.

1. An electrolytic cell comprising a tank in communication with the interior of the cell, a discharge pipe, a pipe opening con1- inunication between said tank and said dis- -harge pipe, a valve in said discharge pipe, an annular float connected to the stem of said valve, an annular ehamber containing said Heat, a central tube in said chamber around which the float is concentrically arranged and in which the valve stem is located, a feed tank connected with a source of liquid sup ply, and with the interior of the cell by a restricted outlet, and a pipe opening'communication between said float chamber and said feed tank. V

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses this 21st da' of May, 1919.

HENRY HARLES JENKINS.

lVitnesses': I

J. W. PATCHING, P. .V. l VAL EY. 

